Dirigible headlight.



R. E. NELSON.

DIHIGIBLE'HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.2!.19l7- I 1,234,792. Patented July 31,1911

2 sums-sue 1.

W BY

ATTOR N EY R. E. NELSON.

DIRIGlBLE HEADLIGHT. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. 1917.

Patented July 31, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 ATTO R N EY I j v INVENTOR I 1211 2160,

nEuBEN EDGAR NELSON, or SIMLA, COLORADO.

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT. 7

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J [11y 31, 1917.

Application filed March 21, 1917. Serial No. 156,368.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, RE BEN EDGA NEL- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Simla, in the county of Elbert and State ofColorado, have invented a new and useful Dirigible Headlight, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to dirigible headlights for automobiles, streetcars, and the like.

These headlights are as a rule connected Y to the cross rod connectingthe knuckle arms of the forward wheels and are simultaneouslycontrolled, thereby shifting them in the same-direction that the wheelsturn so that the curve in the road is instantly lighted, whereby dangerof accidents to the occupants of the car and to pedestrians upon theroad or track is avoided. The construction generally outlined above,however, has been found to be defective in several particulars.

An object of the present invention is to provide a constructioncharacterized by simplicity, durability and accuracy in responding tothe several-movements of the wheels. Another object of the invention isto provide a construction in which the lamp at each side is directlyconnected to the knuckle pin at that side whereby one may operateindependently of the other, should the latter become disarrangedorbroken, and in which both may describe the same are of a circle as thewheels and also may respond proportionately to the turning of the wheelsno matter which way they turn.

.Another object of the invention is to provide a construction which willnot interfere with the steering gear, should the construction becomedisarranged or broken, the

connection between the wheels and the lamps beingremote from theactuating mechanism of the former.

. Another object of the invention is to provide a construction whichwill allow the body of the vehicle with the lamps attached thereto toyield without interfering with the connection between the lamps and theWheels, which does not impair the accuracy of their response, when it isnecessary to turn the lamps, and which will absorb shocks and ars. Inthe accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one embodiment of myinvention,

in which Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the connecting rod'universal. movement. I rods 22 extend substantially transversely ofapplication of my construction to an automoblle of standard make.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the samewith the I body of the automobileremoved.

Fig.' 3 is an enlarged detail perspective View, showing the parts of theactuating mechanism connected to the knuckle pin. Fig. 4 is an enlargeddetail sectional view on the line 1- 1 of Fig. 3, looking in thedirection of the arrow.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional vie on the line 55 ofFig. 4,looking in the direction of the arrow.

In theembodiment here illustrated, the automobile comprises a body 1connected by a leaf spring 2 to the axle3. The ends of the axle areforked as shown at4 between the arms of which are pivoted the knucklepins 5 having the horizontal spindles 6 ro-' .side ofthe body.Adjustably'connected to the lower ends of the forks, as shown at 14,

are cranks 15, as clearly shown in Figs. .2

and 3. Each crank comprises a horizontal forwardly extending portion 16terminating in a downwardly extending vertical portion 17 at the endthereof remote from the fork.

Arms 18 are fixed to the knuckle pins 5 and form forwardly extendingcontinuations of the arms 8. The forward end ofeach arm terminates in acup-like socket 19 open at the .top having through one side thereof avertical slot 20 extending from the upper edge of the cup downwardly andterminating in a horizontal cross slot 21 at its lowerend. A connectingrod 22 having a ball 23 at one end within the socket is adapted-to swingback and forthwithin the horizontal slot. The vertical slot allowsvertical swinging movement of the connecting rod as wellas its removal.The socket 19 andthe. ball 28 constitute a ball and socket to allow theThe the pathof the automobile and are provided at their free ends withheads 24 having openings 25 through which the vertical portions 17 ofthe cranks slidably and loosely extend. In order to prevent thedisengage A spring 27 is attached at one end to,

each head 24 at the side thereof remote from the ball. The springsconverge inwardly and have their inner ends connected to a hook 29 fixedto the axle.

The construction above described is such as to allow yielding movementof the body with its lamps relatively to the axle without straining ordamaging the actuating mechanisms of the lamps or impairing theiraccuracy. During such movements, the vertical portions 17 simply ride upand down within the openings 25 of the heads 24 while the springs 27tend to retain the rods 22 in horizontal position. The springs 27 alsoabsorb jars and vibrations while the universal or balland socket jointis such as to allow plenty of play and prevent strain. It should benoticed in this connection that the actuating mechanisms are connecteddirectly to the knuckle pins and are substantially independent of thesteering mechanism such as the cross rod 9. Should the mechanismconnected to the lamp on one side become damaged or broken, it will beseen that this will not prevent the successful operation of the lampupon the other side. Furthermore, should either or both of the actuatingmechanisms for the lamps become broken, the parts broken are so arrangedthat they will be entirely out of the way of the steeringmechanismcomprising the arms 8, cross rod 9 and connection 10.

lVlien the wheels are turned, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, itwill be seen that the connecting rods 22 will exert a pull upon thecranks, turning the lamps in the same direction as the Wheels. Shouldthe wheels turn in the opposite direction, the connecting rods push thecranks from the position shown in full lines to the left of that shownin Fig. 2. The movement of the lamps is proportional at all times to themovement of the wheels and the arrangement is such that the lamps willturn the same amount to one side as to the other, providing the wheelsalso turn the same amount from one side to the other.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it isto be under stood that I do not desire to be limited to the details ofconstruction herein shown and described for obvious modifications willbe apparent to anyone skilled in the art.

' What is claimed is 1. In an automobile head lamp control, a

forked oscillatory lamp support, a crank connected with the support, andconnections between the turning knuckle of an automobile and the crank,one of the connections being formed with a vertical socket, the otherconnection being loosely engaged with the crank for relative verticaldisplacement and having naled thereon, of a lamp journaled upon saidvehicle, an arm fixed to one of said knuckle pins, a crank attached tothe lower endof' said lamp, and a connecting rod loosely connected tosaid crank for free sliding movement of the latter and detachablypivoted to the arm for universal movement.

3. The combination with "an automobile having a body, an axle, a springinterposed; between said body and axle, a knuckle pin at the end of saidaxle, and a wheel supported saidknuckle pin, of a lamp journaled at oneside of said body and provided at its lower end with a crank having adownwardly extending vertical portion, an arm on said knuckle pin, aconnecting rod having detachable ball connection with the outer end ofsaid arm and slidably engagingthe vertical portion of said crank, andtension means connectedwith said rod and the axle.

4:. The combination with a vehicle having an axle, steering wheelsmounted upon the axle, steering mechanism and a lamp journaled upon thevehicle, of a crankattached to said lamp and having a vertically extending portion, a connecting rod'pivot'ed at one end to said steeringmechanism and having a head at its opposite'end slidably' engaging saidvertical portion, andaspring connecting said head to the axle.

5. In an automobile head lamp control, a forked oscillatory lampsupport, a crank connected with the support, connections between theturning knuckle of an automobile and the crank, one of the connectionsbeing 7 formed with a vertical socket, the other connection beingloosely engaged with the crank for relative vertical displacement andhaving a ball terminal detacha'bly engaged in the socket, and tensionmeans engaged with the last-named connection and with a stationary partof the automobile.

6. In an automobile lamp control, a forked oscillatory lamp support,'acrank connected with the support, connections between the turningknuckle of an automobile and the crank, one of the connections beingformed with a vertical socket, the other connection being looselyengaged with the crank for relative vertical displacement and hav'ing'aball terminal detacliably engaged in thesocket, and tension meansengaged with the last-named connection and with a stationary part of theautomobile, the vertical socket being. provided with slits at rightangles to each other for accommodating'the connection when engaged insaid socket.

one side of said body, a crank attached to said fork and having aforwardly extending horizontal portion terminating in a downwardlyextending vertical portion, a transversely extending connecting rodhaving a ball and socket connection at its outer end with the free endof said arm and slidably engaging at the inner end the vertical portionof said crank, and a spring connecting the inner end of said rod to thecentral portion of said axle for retaining the rod in horizontalposition and absorbing shock.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afixedmy signa- 20 ture in the presence of two Witnesses.

REUBEN EDGAR NELSON.

lVitnesses:

W. C. HAWKINS, M. R. DUBACH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

